Best 11 Right Now

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by LuckofLichaj, Oct 19, 2018.

  1. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jozy

    Weah Pulisic

    Wes

    T. Adams Pax

    Morrow Brooks Long Cannon

    Frei

    Arriola/Boyd/Lima/Sargent//Dax/Miazga/Steffan
     
  2. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    First 11:
    ----Pomykal----Altidore-----Pulisic--
    -----------Holmes-----McKennie--
    -------------------Adams------------
    Johnson---Brooks---Miazga----Yedlin
    -------------------Steffan-----------------

    Second 11:

    ----Weah-------Sargent-------Boyd
    -------------Lletget-----Morales---
    -------------------Bradley-------------
    Robinson---Long---Ream----Cannon
    -------------------Horvath-------------

    Arriola works hard, but does he actually win the ball? Strange that I couldn't fit him anywhere. Maybe Weah could play inside in that left side 10/8. Maybe Arriola can become a LB. He is probably in a 23, but wouldn't start for me.

    Zimmerman over Ream just leaves nobody who can pass.

    Johnson might not even be useful anymore and Bradley is just about empty. But Bradley can back up Adams against all but top competition. Robinson can probably play just fine with Pomykal/Adams/Holmes helping.

    Down a goal, you could bring Boyd on for McKennie or Holmes and move Pulisic inside. Or bring him on for Yedlin, and move McKennie to RB.
     
  3. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not really sure how Pomykal does that but he does it a lot. I think he reads body positioning and has a very quick processor in his brain. If you watch him a lot you just get used to to seeing him poke and steal stuff that very few others do.
     
  4. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    First 11:

    -----------------Altidore------------------
    Weah--Holmes--McKennie--Pulisic
    ----------------Adams--------------------
    Lichaj-----Brooks-----Long-----Yedlin
    -----------------Horvath------------------

    Second 11:
    --------------------Sargent---------------------
    Arriola------Pomykal------Lletget------Boyd
    --------------------Morales---------------------
    A. Robinson-M. Robinson-Miazga-Cannon
    -------------------Steffen------------------------

    Hard for me to not have Canouse in there as the second 11's #6 but I think Morales should get the first shot.

    I like the idea of Arriola and Robinson combining on the left with Pomykal as a second 11 thing. Lichaj being a more stay at home left back though certainly more mobile than Ream would be great sitting behind Weah who we aren't sure will track back. Something tells me with Lichaj, Brooks, and Adams, we'd be fine on that side as compared to Ream and Bradley...

    I'd like to see Holmes playing the 10 but I'd be very willing to move him into the second 11 and move up Pomykal or Boyd depending on where we feel we need CP more.

    I like pairing a mobile center back with Brooks so Long is a good choice as they cover each other's weaknesses well. I also am pretty certain Miles Robinson is better than the other candidates including Walker Zimmerman and even Omar Gonzalez (much to Egg's chagrin) right now for the second 11.
     
  5. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    For the League of nations, I'm just rolling with a U23 squad with Steffen in goal................

    -----------------Sargent---------------
    Pulisic---------------------------------Weah
    -------------McKennie-Pomykal------
    ---------------------Adams----------------
    Robinson--EPB--CCV-----Cannon
    ---------------Steffen------------------

    BWAHAHAHA.
    You can talk me into some other U23 defenders.
     
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  6. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    What with all the Holmes love?

    I’m pretty interested in seeing how he looks but he’s an unproven minor leaguer and I don’t think we should treat him differently than a good MLS player - we don’t know if his game will translate to a higher faster level.

    At least pomykal showed the ability to play against some major leaguers at the U20s and looked pretty scrappy there.

    To be clear, I’m not saying NFW but rather “we don’t know if he can step up”
     
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  7. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    He was basically the lone bright spot in those dark pre-Gold Cup friendlies. I agree we need to see more but it's not as if we haven't seen him play better in limited minutes than most of the other options. Based on what I've seen, I'd give him the first shot and be very willing to move Boyd or Pomykal into the first 11 depending on where we want to play CP.
     
  8. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Championship is a better league than the MLS. There are teams above and below the lines on each side but on average their better coached, more roster competition and much more is on the line day in day out. The MLS has some bright spots for sure but there’s just far far too much complacency. The Championship is a grind like no other.

    Pomykal showed well in the U20s but several players do every year and several players fail to elevate that to the senior level. He’s doing well in the MLS but he needs to leave ASAP before he stagnates. Defenders can get away with less skill and more athletic prowess. CMs in any type of system other than deep line counter can’t. MLS won’t foster that development. The longer he stays the worse off he will be.

    Holmes has flaws in his game and needs to continue to improve but flashed some skill in two cameos at the senior level before leaving due to injury. He’s more tactically flexible. He can play wide or central. He has bite and he can dribble under pressure in tight spaces. He plays with urgency.

    Both should be given chances no doubt. I’d like to see both called up next time but if it was do or die tomorrow, I’m going with Holmes over Pomykal. Not saying best 11 either. But if only one could see the field... as of now it should Holmes. Though I hope they both see it.
     
  9. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    #934 Excellency, Jul 13, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2019
    -------arriola------------jozy---------morris/boyd?
    -------------------pulisic-----pomykal
    -------------------------adams
    -------ream---long------------miazga---thompson
    ------------------------gk:steffen

    I"m dying for somebody to step up and take Ream's spot. Where are u guys?

    I honestly don't know if boyd or morris is better. I'm watching Weah at Lille this year to see if we've got the guy for right wing.

    p.s. edit: 4 guys from that 2015 u20 team: Miazga, Arriola, steffen and TT. 1 guy from 2019, Pomykal, and only 1 from 2017, Adams.
     
  10. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Yep - another lineup without the 20 year old who is in the mix to be the youngest captain in B1....
     
  11. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Not Cannon's best moment as he loses Toye and all 3 points on Saturday at the death. I think he might have conditioning problems late in games. Sarachan pulled him late in the two games he started in.

    It starts at 1'50"

     
  12. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That’s not conditioning. Defenders are generally going to turn and see what the GK does and then try and track where the ball goes. They can’t afford to move to a space if the ball doesn’t end there. The attacker Toye turns and looks where the ball is going but he’s moving to a space prior to seeing where the GK puts it. Once he sees it he happens to have made a move in the right direction and just has to adjust a little. Those types of situations will always favor attackers. There’s no harm in them trying to anticipate and guess wrong. It’s just a missed opportunity. Whereas if the defender tries to do the same and gets it wrong their almost certainly going to concede a goal. A ST just has to be right 1 out of a 100 in a game. The defender needs to be 100 for 100. Because of that they will always be at a disadvantage in those types of situations. It’s one of the reasons why GKs need to make sure they push the ball as wide as possible in those situations (which can be a very difficult ask depending on the shot).
     
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  13. Ace08

    Ace08 Member

    May 30, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Lichaj was, is, and will be a better LB than Ream. Just because our "coach" doesn't agree doesn't make it the correct notion. Lichaj is a MUCH better on the ball defender and has more pace than Mr "retreat and give ground until the last possible moment before I have to make a last ditch tackle" Ream.

    I honestly have no earthly idea how Ream continues to be even called in, much less make the final roster, much less START. There are 4 or 5 names that should automatically be ahead of him on the depth chart and I'd even yank Fabian Johnson out of mothballs before I ever put Ream at LB again.

    Part of the problem this program continues to suffer from is the lack of a quality coach. A quality coach tends to make better roster choices.
     
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  14. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    wow, you really think he's that slow? dunno, but if you say so. I thought Cannon was just out of gas.

    this game confirmed to me the need for Pomykal to get to another better MLS team if possible and if he isn't getting a move abroad in the summer window. He could progress well with a more ambitious team. He'd be great at RedBulls with their DP being a want-away. From there he could get a move to Rbulls Salzburg if he isn't good enough for Leipzig just yet or just stay at Rbulls and play a style that suits him.
     
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  15. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    Amen. When the preliminary 40 man roster was called and I saw that Gutman and Lovitz were on it and not Lichaj, I was stunned but should not have been. Of course, I expected Ream was in the center back pool at that time. Shows what I know. Lichaj has been one of the better left backs in our pool for a long time even though he's spent a lot of his time at club playing right back though he played the second half of last season at LB for Hull. Lichaj himself believes he's a better defender on the left side but offers more going forward from the right. Guess what Egg is asking his left defender to do, basically exclusively be a defender!!! I have challenged anyone who doesn't believe he's our current left back to go back and watch the Portugal friendly in November of 2017 aka the only time he's played left back for us in a long time and tell me anyone else in our pool who could basically stop all attacks down their right side to the point they took literally zero shots from that side the entire game. And he wasn't going against a scrub, their right forward was Gelson Martins of AS Monaco who makes Rodolfo Pizarro look like chopped liver.

    The most logical choice would be to call in Lichaj (who is actually a year younger than Ream) and an actual talented attacking left back like Robinson or Garza. Play Lichaj when we expect to be having to defend a bit more and Robinson/Garza when you're looking for a LB to get into the attack and serve quality crosses/not get them all blocked like Lovitz did. Ideally, Robinson would improve his defending and Gloster, Dest or someone else would step up to the point we don't need Lichaj in 2022 but for right now, not even calling him into the 40 is one of the most ignorant things Egg has done and that is saying something.
     
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  16. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nothing I said had to do with speed. Cannon could have been tired as well but what I detailed out was far far more accurate a reason that situation than being tired. That same play happens whether it’s the 10th or 90th minute.
     
  17. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    So that's his top speed. Ok, good to know.
     
  18. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes that’s exactly what I said, you nailed it on head once again.
     
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  19. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    @Excellency stop being intentional obtuse... it’s annoying.
     
  20. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    huh? Call 911 dude.
     
  21. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    do you think that our historical teams in 2002-2014 only defended and counter-attacked? Did we not have a possession advantage in the Hex vs. lesser opponents at home?

    Also, how much time do we need to have our core team learn how to play together under a non-experimental system if we were to switch? Is it so simple that they don't need to familiarize themselves with the communication?
     
  22. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    No, but in possession isn't the same as how we're trying to play. And if we did play similar to now back then ... why are we so scared of it now?

    What are we talking about when we say "a non-experimental system"?

    If we're just talking about playing out of the back, we've already played direct a bunch, and I expect we will continue to practice those connections as a part of the "system" so to speak. Our biggest issue there is probably personnel, as aside from Jozy, a don't see a plus hold-up player anywhere in the pool.

    If we're talking about CP in midfield, I mean, moving him to wing is really going to be not much of an adjustment.

    If we're talking Adams at RB ... I don't even know if we'll see it now at all, but if we do, again, we've already played with the RB doing a variety of things and same with the wings.

    To be honest, one of the reasons I object to the labelling of a "system" is that what we've run doesn't feel that rigid. We've had matches with one forward FB, two forward FBs and an inverted FBs. We've run our wingers out wide and had them play as inverted forwards. We've played played a variety of formations. We've had guys go forward and stay back.

    I'm not saying Berhalter is a genius, but I'm don't see an offense that has been particularly rigid about **anything.**

    I'm much more worried about his ineffectiveness in implementing a press. Someone was saying we should bring in Tab for the midfield ... I'd bring in someone from the larger RB organization to run the press if I were to bring someone in.

    How long will it take to transition? I think we are building some of the muscles right now. I don't think it will take long at all.

    I'd be much more concerned that we don't find answers to our personnel questions. Striker depth. Left Back. Winger or CAM, depending on where CP shows up. (And no, I'm not leaving DM off the board to annoy you ... I just think Berhalter will figure it out).
     
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  23. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    That's actually not a bad idea. It's a quite good one, IMO. Take the olympic team. I'd bring Brooks and Long as the centerbacks to use the opportunity to allow them to develop chemistry.

    That would allow for the USMNT program to invest in what looks like a special generation of players. Add in a few youth-friendly vets and let it roll.

    - It gives Adams his shot to win the #6 shirt just like Bradley was given. I think that the team and the fans need to be allowed to see that its a real competition.
    - It allows the younger players to begin to familiarize with one another and to see each others growth. I would think of it as two groups of players to begin developing chemistry and familiarity: Pulisic/Weah/Sargent/Pomykal/McKennie and Adams/Brooks/Long/Steffen.
     
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  24. Red Card

    Red Card Member+

    Mar 3, 1999
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ream does not play LB for his club. He plays left CB for them, and is a starter, last year in the Prem, and now in the Championship. He plays out of position for the usmnt. LB is his secondary position, and he is not a true left back as you know because he plays LB more or less like a CB.

    It's fair to critique any player, but be aware that some of the players have been moved around. Except for MB of course.
     
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  25. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    The system that we have is a 100% reliance on Trapp/Bradley as a regista. That’s unbelievably rigid.

    He’s switched the support system around this core decision but that’s window dressing around the primary decision (he’s tired to answer the question of how do we cover for a weak defender playing defensive midfield? In various ways).

    Even the Pulisic positional decision is an offshoot of the Bradley/Trapp one because we can’t have more than one (if any) midfielders who aren’t strong two way players.
     

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